Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voting Updates: Today marks the third phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, with polling underway in 93 constituencies spread across 11 states and Union Territories. The Elections Commission of India reports a notable participation with 1,331 candidates contesting in this phase.
In the early hours, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exercised his democratic right by casting his vote at a school in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Before his ballot, he encouraged citizens participating in this phase to turn out in large numbers, emphasizing that their engagement would enrich the electoral process. “Their active participation will certainly make the elections more vibrant,” the Prime Minister remarked in a post on X.
Today marks a pivotal moment in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, as the outcome of over 283 seats will be determined after the conclusion of the third phase. This signifies that more than half of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats will have their fate sealed by the end of this phase. -Lok Sabha Election 2024
The voting process commenced at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm. By the end of today, the electoral process will be completed in Gujarat, Goa, Dadra Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu. Additionally, all 28 seats of Karnataka will have completed their voting, along with the 11 seats of Chhattisgarh, where seven seats are up for election today.
In addition to the constituencies mentioned earlier, the third phase also encompasses four seats in Assam, five in Bihar, 7 in Chhattisgarh, 9 in Madhya Pradesh, Eleven in Maharashtra, Ten in UP, and 4 in West Bengal.
The day holds particular significance for several key candidates, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is vying for re-election from Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Other notable contenders whose political fortunes will be decided today include Shivraj Singh Chouhan contesting from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna, also in Madhya Pradesh, and Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, among others.
One of the closely observed contests in the third phase is between Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, and his nephew Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, for the Baramati seat in Maharashtra.
Furthermore, Union Ministers Mansukh Mandaviya, contesting from Porbandar, Parshottam Rupala from Rajkot, and Pralhad Joshi from Dharwad are among the prominent candidates participating in this phase of polling.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha Election, out of the 93 seats up for grabs in Tuesday’s polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies secured victory in 75 seats, with the BJP alone clinching 71 of them. The INDIA bloc parties managed to secure only 8 seats, while the Congress won merely four seats. Additionally, four seats were claimed by the undivided Shiv Sena, three by the undivided NCP, two by independents, and one by the AIUDF.
A staggering 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the third phase. The Election Commission has deployed approximately 18.5 lakh polling officials across 1.85 lakh polling stations for smooth conduct of the elections. Among the electorate, there are over 14.04 lakh registered voters aged 85 and above, with another 39,599 voters surpassing the age of 100 in the third phase of polling.
The Lok Sabha Elections are being conducted in seven phases, with the first two phases held on April 19 and 26. The subsequent phases are scheduled for May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. counting of votes for all seven phases will occur on June 4.
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In total, voters will cast their ballots for 543 Lok Sabha seats across these seven phases. The final phase is slated for June 1. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims for a historic third consecutive term and has set a lofty target of securing 400 seats in this election. However, they face a formidable challenge from the opposition parties, primarily led by the Congress under the banner of the INDIA bloc.